Melton will be reunited with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, who coached him for three years with the Chicago Bears.

“I’m excited to come back home and work with Rod and get back to my Pro Bowl form,” Melton told ESPNDallas from St. Louis where he was visiting on Tuesday. “It’s a great group of guys there and I’ve talked to them the last few days.”

Melton’s season was cut short last year after he suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Every team I visited, everything checked out and everything looked good,” said Melton, who visited with the St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks.

In four seasons with the Bears, the 27-year-old Melton has 15.5 sacks and 71 tackles, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012.

Melton joins Jeremy Mincey and Terrell McClain as the third defensive lineman the Cowboys have signed this offseason.

If Melton was willing to go a one-year deal, it would have made much better sense to sign with the Seahawks where he would have been better able to showcase his wares without having to play 90 percent of the defensive plays.
Although the Seahawks are a little tight on the cap due to future projections, at least they won’t have to cut the equipment manager and pawn Jerry’s false teeth to pay his salary.